Home Again, Home Again, Jiggity Jig

We returned home Saturday evening from a utterly fabulous time at the beach. This is what Monkey has to say about our short, but sweet, vacation:

We saw dolphins and alligators and pelicans and the BEACH. Daddy
caught a shark. It was a little one. And there were sea shells and
the OCEAN and waves and sand and the BEACH. I built a sand castle, but it got
destroyed. I built another sand castle. I got a necklace! I was at the BEACH. And we went to a snake museum! And there were alligators and I had
ICECREAM! And there was a pool! There were sea turtles. I swam in the ocean and I saw the sunset...

ONE LOCAL SUMMER

We ate lots of fresh seafood. On the local food front, in accordance with Liz's One Local Summer Challenge, our Friday night dinner consisted of shrimp bought off the boat a quarter mile away, cucumbers and tomatoes from George and Pinks, corn (delicious and sweet) from a boy on the side of the road and fresh locally grown potatoes from the Piggly Wiggly (which has a local fresh veggie and fruit section!) and beer from Palmetto Brewing Company, just up the road in Charleston.

This week's local meal was brought on early by a surprise visit from Chef Boots and Dr. E. We pulled potatoes from the garden, had the first golden wax and french filet beans, and local pork chops from Warren Wilson College. Our appetizers consisted of Spinning Spider Creamery's Midnight Sun cheese, our own Strawberry Jelly Jam (which is awesome with goat cheese!) and some of that shrimp from the low country. I have to admit that the crackers were not local.

Chef Boots is finally opening his own restaurant. We started discussing what I may be able to grow for him. This would mean the addition of a green house, but maybe we can swing it. I'll keep you posted. We told Dr. E she could quit her day job at the University and become the delivery driver between here and Winston. I don't think she was too enthused with that prospect. Although we did think that a weekly meeting in Hickory for lunch would not be out of the question. Hmm, this could be fun!